Vaughn's Summaries

Medicine Summaries
Prescription Drugs

To help determine which drugs have the worst side effects, I summarized all the side effect postings over at www.medications.com. Physicians always prefer to have patients accept the literature put out by the big pharmaceutical companies. I prefer to listen to all the anecdotal evidence from people who HAVE TAKEN the drugs.

Here is a summary list of adverse side effects, resulting from the use of prescription drugs.
Drugs with the Most Complaints
Drug Side-Effect Descriptions
Some Popular Drugs with Dangerous Side Effects
Dreamlike Ads
Pharmaceutical Drugs Deception
A Pharmaceutical Drug Classification System

30

390 - 450

30

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From Medications.com, here is a summary of the number of
complaints (posts), for drugs with OVER 100 COMPLAINTS:

Over 1,000 Complaints		. 500 - 1,000 Complaints		200 - 500 Complaints
4,799 3,398 2,426 2,358 2,148 1,777 1,445 1,367 1,130	Yasmin Mirena Singulair Levaquin Lisinopril Nuvaring Prednisone Lipitor Advair HFA	965 878 805 679 550 508 503 501	Loestrin 24 Fe Kenalog Toprol-XL Topamax Wellbutrin Femcon Fe Sulfamethoxazole Lupron	487 438 411 351 334 332 271 223 221 216 212 206 205 205	Zocor Yaz Doxycycline Levoxyl Avelox Lamictal Zoloft Gardasil Simvastatin Omeprozole Geodon Warfarin Aviane Effexor
60	100 - 460	50	100	50	100

.
If you are taking one of the drugs on the list above, you should be EXTRA CAUTIOUS. Go on the Internet, and read in detail about the side effects associated with your drug. I was recently prescribed Lisinopril, and I quickly became another victim of the infamous "Lisinopril Cough". Even after quitting the stuff after 2 weeks, my tickling throat STILL has not gone away. This is truly nasty stuff. AND, it didn't do a damn thing to lower my Blood Pressure. ACE Inhibiter, indeed! How about, "Throat Attack Machine".

140 - 200 Complaints		. 100 - 140 Complaints		71 - 91 Complaints
188 185 184 175 166 163 155 148 145 144	Paxil Biaxin Ovcon Synthroid Ambian Guiaifen Fosamax Seroquel Bactrim Celexa	138 137 137 130 125 120 112 111 110 100	Ultracet Advair Disc. Guiafenex Desogen Zyrtec Flomax Zithromax Maxidex Reglan Diovan	91 85 80 78 77 77 76 72 71 71	Welchol Propafenone Aciphex Vytorin Depakote Januvia Cipro Adderall Adderall XR Quasense
50	100 - 450	50	100	50	100

.
From Medications.com, here is a summary of the number of
complaints (posts), for drugs with 35 - 68 COMPLAINTS:

. 51 - 68 Complaints		47 - 51 Complaints		42 - 46 Complaints
68 66 66 59 56 53 52 52 52 51	Cephalexin Remicade Risperdal Lotrel Cortizone Trileptal Budeprion Neurontin SMP-TMP DS Atenolol	51 51 51 51 50 49 49 48 47 47	Hydrocodone Lantus Meprozine Pravachol Prozac Albuterol Effexor XR Metronnidazole Winstrol Xanax	46 46 45 45 45 45 45 43 42 42	Chantix Estrostep FE Alesse Amoxicillin Keflex Macrobid Remeron HCTZ-Lisinopril Lithium Carbon. Mobic
40	110 - 450	40	110	40	110

35 - 42 Complaints
42 41 41 40 37 36 36 35 35 35	Nasonex Jolessa Norvasc Metoprolol Methadone Imitrex Trazodone Allegra Flagyl Lyrica
40	110 - 150

YOU must be the one who watches over yourself. Because nobody else is going to. Many doctors just throw things at the wall, and see what sticks.

My approach is the old-fashioned "smoke-there-is-fire" reasoning. Some doctors disdain anecdotal evidence as not valid. I believe that it is the very best evidence we have, if the sample size is large enough, and the population is diverse.

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Prescription drug side effects can occur in every system of the body.
Below are listed common serious side effects, by the body system affected.

  Side Effects

ALLERGY
Side Effects

COMMON:
Serious allergic reactions
Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat
Difficulty breathing
Difficulty swallowing

BLOOD
Side Effects

COMMON:
Anemia
Decreased levels of potassium
Decreased levels of sodium
Dizziness
Excessive bleeding (sometimes fatal)
Facial flushing
Fainting (syncope)
Fast heartbeat (tachycardia)
Heart attack
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Increased levels of potassium
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Low blood cell counts
Palpitations
Perpetual erection (priapism)
Postural hypotension
Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
Thrombosis (clotting)

BONE
Side Effects

COMMON:
Bone loss
Bone pain

BRAIN
Side Effects

COMMON:
Amnesia
Dizziness (vertigo)
Seizures
Speech disorder
Stroke
Transient ischemic atychosis
Worsening of epilepsy

GASTRO-INTESTINAL
Side Effects

COMMON:
Abdominal pain
Colitis
Constipation
Diarrhea
Dry mouth
Dyspepsia
Intestinal bleeding
Nausea
Rectal bleeding
Stomach bleeding
Stomach pain
Upset Stomach (indigestion)
Vomiting

INTERACTION
Side Effects

COMMON:
Drug and drug interactions
Food and drug interactions

LIVER/ KIDNEY
Side Effects

COMMON:
Acute kidney failure
Chronic kidney failure
Hepatitus
Jaundice
Liver damage

LUNGS (Pulmonary Side Effects)

COMMON:
Cold symptoms
Cough
Flu-like symptoms
Lower respiratory infection
Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
Pulmonary thrombosis
Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
Sore throat
Upper respiratory infection

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MENTAL
Side Effects

COMMON:
Aggression
Agitation
Anxiety
Confusion
Depression
Hallucinations
Hostile
Hyperactive
Impulsive
Irritable
Panicky
Personality disorder
Overly excited
Severely restless (akathisia)
Sleeplessness (insomnia)
Suicide
Weakness (asthenia)

MUSCULAR
Side Effects

COMMON:
Back pain
Leg cramps
Muscle pain
Shakiness (tremor)
Spasm
Tiredness
Swelling of legs and feet
Unexplained muscle pain
Weakness

OTHER DRUG
Side Effects

COMMON:
Diabetes mellitus
Hair loss
Frequent urination
Hyperglycemia
Ketoacidosis
Loss of appetite
Pancreatitis
Urinary tract infection
Weight gain
Weight loss

PAIN
Side Effects

COMMON:
Abdominal pain
Bone pain
Breast pain
Chest pain (angina)
Headache
Heartburn
Joint pain
Leg cramps
Painful menstruation
Vaginitis

SENSES
Side Effects

COMMON:
Blindness
Blurred vision
Colored vision
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Tingling sensation (paresthesia)

SKIN
Side Effects

COMMON:
Allergic reaction
Itching
Skin rash
Severe skin reactions
Sweating

130

320 - 450

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Biased studies - Misleading Statistics - Marginal Efficacy - Unacceptable Risk
Your health is secondary - the pharmaceutical companies WANT YOUR MONEY. YOU MUST become aware of this, or your health can be in great danger.
No longer can you rely upon your doctor - he is a pharmaceutical company puppet, who parrots whatever is written in the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference).

You must become your own #1 health care informant - do your own research.
The truth must be mined, from the flood of sometimes misleading published information.
Praise God for the internet.
Listen to who is doing the talking - judge accordingly.
Expect spin, skew, deception . . . Profit motive and self-interest prevail.

No matter how "rare" a side effect is alleged to be,
it's NOT rare when it happens to you.

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Pharmaceutical companies need to make money. At any cost. Period.

So they create concoctions of petrochemicals, and test them on animals to see what they do.
All new compounds do something.
Most new compounds have MANY, MANY effects.
Most of these effects are negative, some deadly poisonous.

Perhaps one new compound in 100 has a positive effect on some malady.
But the multitude of negative effects are ALWAYS THERE
(just read the data - for ANY drug above).
So, they hoodwink the FDA, and make and sell the drug for the condition,

AND DOWNPLAY ALL THE ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS.
by falsifying studies
by "burying" studies that show negative results
by "doctoring" statistics
by hiding the side effects
by hand-picking study subjects
by defining 5% occurrence as "rare"
by removing study subjects early, who do very poorly
by selling drugs with marginal efficacy

Many of these side effects are FAR WORSE than the condition being treated.
SOME ARE FAR, FAR WORSE!!!
The side effects far outweigh the benefits.
Don't believe it?
Did you read the adverse side effects, out of THEIR mouths?

Remember this -
The primary concern when administering a drug is NOT how effective it might be, but how well it can be TOLERATED.

Do I have an axe to grind? I sure do.
Several years ago, I was given propranolol, which is pure poison.
I have been in PERMANENT atrial fibrillation since that day in March 2003, after almost dying.
Propranolol blew out my heart's pacemaker (sinus rhythm).
The doctor had NO IDEA what he was giving me.
"Let's try this, he said", with NO REGARD for the possible consequences.
When I couldn't walk, stand, sit, lie down, breathe, or sleep, he said, "Double the dose". Idiot.

Your doctor may also be clueless. Especially if we are talking about heart medications. General Practitioners have NO BUSINESS prescribing cardiac drugs. These drugs are a total crapshoot.
YOUR particular side effects are unpredictable until you swallow the drug.
Then, it might be too late.

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Type 1 Drugs - These drugs have excellent benefits, and very low risk. They sell like candy. Some go OTC.

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Type 1 Drugs - These drugs have excellent benefits, and very low risk. They sell like candy. Some go OTC.

Type 2 Drugs - These drugs have very good benefits, and marginal risk.

Type 2 Drugs - These drugs have very good benefits, and marginal risk.

Type 3 Drugs -

These drugs have good benefits, and marginal risk.

Type 4 Drugs -

These drugs have marginal benefit, and marginal risk.

Type 5 Drugs -

These drugs have little benefits, and little risk. These drugs act similar to placebos.

Type 6 Drugs -

These drugs have marginal benefits, but substantial risk.

Type 7 Drugs -

These drugs have marginal benefits, but have high risk. ("Last resort" type of drugs.)

Type 8 Drugs -

These drugs have little benefit, and very high risk. Many of these drugs are recalled.

MOST PHARMACEUTICAL PRESCRIPTION DRUGS are Types 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The side effects can far outweigh the benefits.
Don't believe it? Did you read the above adverse side effects?

Seek a medical injury attorney if you have suffered personal injury from any of the drugs listed above.
Top personal injury lawyers specializing in medical claims - Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Information on injuries caused by now-banned drugs - Prescription Drug Lawsuits

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